Bureau of Motor Vehicles gets man's birthday wrong, tries to charge him for the mistake

The Question: The Bureau of Motor Vehicles office in Euclid wrongly charged me a late registration fee when I registered my van and truck.

I paid the day before my birthday, but they said their computer listed my birthday as having been three weeks earlier. I showed them my driver's license, which has my correct birthday on it, but they said they couldn't change the computer or give me a refund.

When I called the BMV in Columbus, I was told I could run into the same problem next year if the BMV didn't fix its computer record. But they said if they corrected it, the bureau would have to issue me replacement stickers and that would cost "at least" $15 per vehicle, maybe more. Plus, they said they won't refund the $40 I already paid in late fees.

I'm angry about these extra charges. None of this is my fault.

-- Willie Robinson, Cleveland

The Answer: Sometimes I take a problem in the column only because of the absurdity of the situation -- and the great likelihood that a consumer is about to be crushed in the maw of bureaucracy.

This would be one of those cases.

As I see it, the BMV made a clerical error and then not only insisted that you pay for its mistake but that you also pay to correct it.

That's nuts.

After investigating its records, the BMV agrees that a BMV employee mistyped information somewhere along the line. It has corrected the error.

The agency is refunding the $40 you paid in late fees and issuing you replacement stickers at no added cost to you, spokeswoman Lindsey Bohrer said.

In defense of the BMV, Bohrer said that deputy registrars -- people who work in offices scattered about the state -- are contract employees and are not able to fix erroneous date-of-birth entries in computers. So consumers who spot problems have to report them to Columbus.

Rachel Eaton, who oversees the BMV's vehicle registration section, said simply claiming the date of birth is wrong is not an automatic reason to waive a late fee.

She said consumers have a responsibility to review registration forms for errors because when they sign they are attesting the information is correct.

Consumers who encounter a problem can reach the BMV by calling 1-800-589-8247 or through its website -- and Eaton encouraged them to ask for a supervisor if they don't like the answers they get.

Consumers are right to be offended by rules that don't make a lot of sense, especially in a system they support with their tax dollars.

If you run into problems with a state agency you cannot resolve with logic, write to the head of the agency at its headquarters. You can find all agencies listed at ohio.gov but if you don't have a computer, your local library's reference section can help you track down a name and address.

One of the really useful things about living in a democracy is that elected officials generally care a bit more than appointed ones about our feelings. It's worth complaining to the office of your local representative in the statehouse if you encounter bureaucratic intransigence.

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